COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of November 30th 2011

Many shops offered massive comic book sales on Black Friday this past weekend, but I hope you still have some cash left because this week there are plenty of new trades coming out that you won’t want to miss. Just in time for the holiday season publishers are releasing loads of trades and graphic novels from the hottest titles this year. So get out those holiday wish lists again! Check out this week’s tastiest titles after the jump, including HACK/SLASH ANNUAL, GREEN WAKE, and the first collected trade of Nick Spencer’s highly acclaimed MORNING GLORIES.

With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the crossovers, and the new series, we’ve got to limit our lists for the week somehow. Rather than cramming so many previews down your throat that you barely breathe, we present you with our ten most anticipated books of the week. So feast your eyes on these! Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, we’re here to help you decide which books to pick up. Read on for the skinny…

The Low Down:“As Angel continues his quest to resurrect the dead by following leads he digs out of the Watcher’s Files, Faith has second thoughts about supporting his seemingly impossible venture. A new ally warns her to weigh the consequences-good and bad-of Angel’s endeavor. Meanwhile, amidst clubbing, mentoring, and slaying, Faith has her own concerns counseling a damaged and vengeance-seeking Slayer! There’s pressure from all sides. Can Faith handle it?”

The Feast: Full of melodrama and teen angst, much like the original Angel TV show, this is a perfect Buffy spinoff. The tension between Angel and Faith has been building since the first issue, and with Angel’s contentious plan to bring back the dead it leads to plenty more drama. Angel & Faith is an enormously fun character driven title that makes a great addition to the Buffy lineup.

The Low Down:“In these terrifying tales of witchcraft and the undead, Abe, Roger, Liz, and Johann learn the ropes as agents of the Bureau For Paranormal Research and Defense! Abe copes with survivor’s guilt, Roger goes on his first adventure with Hellboy, Liz tells the story of how she killed her family, and Johann Kraus dies!”

The Feast: If you’ve got a friend or family member who is new to comics, this is a perfect gift and a perfect introduction to Mignola’s B.P.R.D world. This slightly offbeat series takes place in a very peculiar realm, where all the supernatural beings you could ever imagine roam free. Mignola is one of the best in the biz, and this is an essential book for anyone getting into comics.

The Low Down:“Would you rather burn out or fade away? That’s the question at the heart of this bold title collecting issues #1-10 of the acclaimed new series. Meet a group of people who find purpose when they’re offered a chance to become super heroes. The catch? Their powers will kill them.”

The Feast: If you’re looking for an original superhero story that doesn’t mess around, this is your book. This week DC is focusing on some trade paperback releases and taking some focus away from the New 52. As we said before, the next few weeks are going to be big for holiday releases, and the THUNDER Agents trade is something everyone should read. This is Nick Spencer at his finest, and one of the most underrated books at DC. Everyone needs to read this!

The Low Down:“Morley is haunted by ghosts of his past that force him to face his fears about Green Wake. Violent unrest seizes the citizens of the once sleepy town and Morley is forced to choose a place to stand in the deepening social divide.”

The Feast: If you don’t know our love for Wiebe and Rossmo by this point then we’ve been doing something wrong. For the last time (but probably not), read this series! It’s an intense, emotional, and intelligent horror thriller like no other. This marks the second issue in the ongoing series; expect things to get weird and wild as Morely finds out more and his past and the perplexing town.

The Low Down:“In the Louisiana Bayou, the murderous ghost of Victor Crowley is maiming tourists in creatively horrible ways. But in his blind murderous rampage, he may have created something worse than himself! Now, Cassie and Vlad are back in New Orleans, and it won’t be long before baseball bat meets hatchet and deformed mutant meets deformed mutant!”

The Feast: Another book that w absolutely love here at Graphic Content, Hack/Slash comes in big this week with a giant-sized annual special issue. What’s so special? Well Cassie Hack and her monstrous friend Vlad team up against the one and only Victor Crowley, that’s right the hilariously deranged slasher from the Hatchet films. If you’re like us at all, you will enjoy this.

The Low Down:“AN ALL-NEW CREATIVE TEAM KICKS OFF WITH A BOLD NEW DIRECTION! Brothers Daniel and Kurt Killgore have shared an ominous power, but things begin to unravel – for both of them – when a past tragedy comes back to haunt them. All-new action! All-new enemies! The new nightmare begins…NOW!”

The Feast: With Kirkman finally gone from the series, the new creative team of Case and Fox look to take Haunt on a completely new route. For those who don’t know, the main character (who looks like a mix of Spawn and Spiderman) is the unification of a Catholic priest the ghost of his murdered brother. While the Kirkman run was fun, we’re excited to see what a new team can do with the character.

The Low Down:“At last, an oversized hardcover of NICK SPENCER’s runaway hit series, MORNING GLORIES. This deluxe edition features every cover, plus sketches, character studies and other extras that no collector or fan of the series will want to be without. See why critics everywhere have cited MORNING GLORIES as THE book of the year! Collects MORNING GLORES #1-12”

The Feast: Any time Image releases an ongoing that lasts, it’s something to keep and eye on. Morning Glories has somehow passed under the radar for the most part, but it’s another one of those cannot miss books from the hot to trot Nick Spencer. The series follows a group of teens who are sent to a “special school”, where it turns out the school as well as he staff have secrets of their own. A mix somewhere between The Faculty (yes the Josh Harnett movie) and Runaways, this is a weird book that mixes humor with the utterly bizarre.

The Low Down:“THE MOST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW SERIES OF THE YEAR CONTINUES! Matt Murdock relives some of his late father’s worst nightmares as Daredevil meets Bruiser, a fighter who can’t be put down and won’t fall! How will Matt survive–and how will doing so make him the most dangerous man in the Marvel Universe?”

The Feast: We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again, Mark Waid’s new Daredevil is excellent. One of the best things to come from Marvel in the past year, the new and highly improved Daredevil reverts to the past while simultaneously showcasing what it means to create a great comic today. We’re looking forward to another great issue.

The Low Down:“ The critically acclaimed and best-selling PlayStation 3 video game jumps onto the comic page, featuring an all-new action-packed story written by Joshua Williamson (SUPERMAN/BATMAN) with fantastic covers by the legendary Tony Harris. It’s just in time for the highly anticipated Uncharted #3: Drake’s Deception coming in November! A quest for the legendary “Amber Room” launches Nathan Drake on a journey to the center of the earth. As enemies from Sir Francis Drake’s past come for revenge on his descendant, Drake must use all the skills at his disposal to stay one step ahead of the game!”

The Feast: Last week DC proved they could do game-to-comic adaptations with the first issue of Diablo, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come. If ever there was a video game hero made for comics, it’s Nathan Drake with his stunning good looks and fearless attitude.